Brake-beam fulcrum strut



Nov. 13, H923. RAMAW w. E. FOWLER, JR

BRAKE BEAM FULCRUM STRUT Filed July 25 1919 WITNESSES INVENTOR Patented Non. l3,

"WILLIAM E. FOVJLER, EB... 03: PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LIBERTY STEEL PRQDUCTS COLMPANY, INC, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BRAKE-BEA1H FULGRUI'II STRUT.

Application filed July 23, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l, l v innian E. FOWLER, Jr. a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittslmrgh in the county of Allegheny and State 01 Pennsylvania, hav made a new and useful Invention in Brake- Beani Fulcrum Struts, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to fulcrum struts for trussed brake beams such as used on railway rolling stock. An object or my invention is to provide an efiicient fulcrum strut which may be produced at a minimum cost of material and labor and be easily assembled with the compression and tension members of the brake beam. Another object of my invention is to secure a strut in which the fibers, formed in the metal when rolled, will not be distorted by bei'icling, and twisting of the strut material in accommodating the same to the angular disposition of the beam lever and fulcrum pin.

In attaining these objects I provide a tubular brake beam strut, utilizing the well known principle that a cylindrical column permits the most economical disposition of the material for resisting compressive stresses. The method by which my tubular strut is produced is described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a plan of a flat plate which has been shaped to produce the required fulcrum strut when bent and welded as described; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 oi 1, 3 is a plan of the strut after completion and with portions oi. the tension and compression members of the beam attached thereto; Fig. 4 is a section and View on the line 1-4 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. l.

The blank 1 is stamped from a sheet or cut from a plate and given the outline shown in Fig. 1. After punching and shaping. it is bent into a. cylindrical shape and edges 2-2 are welded together and also edges 33. When the tube has been thus formed, recesses 4 in blank 1 are united to form the sides and ends of a slot 5 which permits the brake beam lever (not shown) to pass thru the wall of the tube at one side. Another slot 6, punched in the blank when the latter is first shaped, is located opposite to slot 5 after the blank is bent into a cylinder.

Serial No. 312,818.

Holes 7 are for the brake beam fulcrum pin but are not punched in the metal in the usual manner. The metal in the hole area is displaced in the hole forming operation to the position best shown in Fig. 2 where it forms an enlarged sur'tace tor th bearing of the lever pin.

At one end of blank 1 is an integral tongue 8 which, after the strut is formed. is forged to the shape shown in Fig. 4;. A clip 9 is adapted to cooperate with tongue 8 in assembling the strut with the brake beam compression member 10. Clip 9 is preterably made from a separate piece of material and. in assembly is secured by a rivet 11. A bushing 12 spaces the sides of the strut at the riveting point.

At the opposite end of the strut, a saddle casting 13 is seated in the opening. A projection 14 on the saddle extends within the tube and prevents relative lateral movement. The outside of the projection is undercut which permits the end of the tube to be r duced to secure the two elements together. Saddle 13 is grooved to seat tension member 15, and to assure the angle of the groove being properly disposed in relation to the brake lever blank 1 is slotted at 16 to accommodate a locating lug 17 on saddle 13.

This fulcii'um strut is manufactured at a minimum cost oi u'iaterial and labor and is strong; and rigid. The advantages of tubular construction are obtained but at less expense than by the use of rolled tubing. Slottinp; and punching of the blank is more easily accomplished than similar operations on a tube. Ev locating one of the slots where the edges of the blank meet when the cylinder is formed, I reduce the length of the weld to about one half of what it would be it the slot was located elsewhere. 0bvi ously, both of slots 5 and 6 may be punched from the body of the blank. leaving the entire length of the edges to be welded together. but ll prefer the arrangement described.

I claim 1. El. strut for a trussed brake beam formed of sheet metal bent to cylindrical form with the seam extending longitudinally thereof and provided with a lever fulcrum between its ends.

2. A strut for a trussed brake beam comprising a section formed of sheet metal bent to cylindrical form. with the seam extending 4. A strut for a trussed brake beam formed from sheet lnetzil and having al0ngi- 10 tudinal seam and provided with lever slots on opposite sides thereof between its ends.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aihxed my hand this 15th (my of July, 1919.

WILLIAM E. FOWLER, JR. 

